Killing Words
Not only do humans have an inordinate propensity for killing things ......
as you will see from this page they also have an inordinate propensity for creating words about killing things.
Words concerning death, destruction, extermination and deliberate killing usually end in the prefix -cide. The -cide ending came to us from Middle French and originates in the Latin -cida, from caedere, meaning "to kill".
NOTE: While some -cide words refer exclusively to the act of killing a specific thing or person (e.g. herbicide); others can refer alternately to the act itself or to the person performing the act (e.g. homicide).
Words for the killing of one's relations | |
| filicide, prolicide | killing of one's offspring |
| fratricide | killing of one's brother or sister |
| mariticide | killing of one's husband |
| matricide | killing of one's mother |
| parenticide | killing of one's parent(s) |
| parricide | killing of a parent or other close relative |
| patricide | killing of one's father |
| sororicide | killing of one's sister |
| suicide | killing of oneself |
| uxoricide | killing of one's wife |
Words for the killing of other people (Murder) | |
| amicicide | killing of a friend |
| Brahminicide, Brahmanicide | killing of a Brahmin |
| Christicide | killing of Christ |
| episcopicide | killing of a bishop |
| femicide, gynaecide | killing of a woman |
| feticide, foeticide | killing of a fetus |
| hereticide | killing of a heretic |
| homicide | killing of any human being |
| hospiticide | killing of a guest or a host |
| hosticide | killing of an enemy |
| infanticide | killing of an infant |
| modernicide | killing of a modernist |
| neonaticide | killing of an infant in the first 24 hour of life |
| philosophicide | killing of a philosopher |
| prenticecide | killing of an apprentice |
| regicide | killing of a king |
| senicide | killing off of old men |
| tyrannicide | killing of a tyrant |
| vaticide | killing of a prophet |
Words for the killing of animals | |
| apricide | killing of boars |
| avicide, birdicide | killing of birds |
| bovicide | killing of oxen |
| canicide | killing of dogs |
| cervicide | killing of deer |
| ceticide | killing of whales |
| elephanticide | killing of elephants |
| felicide | killing of cats |
| gallicide | killing of fowls |
| gallinicide | killing of poultry |
| hirudicide | killing of leeches |
| lupicide | killing of wolves |
| macropicide | killing of kangaroos |
| molluscicide | killing of snails/molluscs |
| muricide | killing of shellfish |
| ovicide | killing of sheep |
| perdricide | killing of partridges and peafowls |
| piscicide | killing of fish |
| raticide | killing of rats and mice |
| rodenticide | killing of rodents |
| serpenticide | killing of snakes |
| siblicide | killing of siblings in animal groups |
| talpicide | killing of shrews |
| tauricide | killing of bulls |
| ursicide | killing of bears |
| vaccicide | killing of cattle |
| vermicide | killing of worms |
| verminicide | killing of vermin |
| vulpicide | killing of foxes |
Words for the killing of insects | |
| acaricide, miticide | killing of mites |
| adulticide | killing of adult insects |
| anophelicide, mosquitocide | killing of mosquitos |
| aphidicide, aphicide | killing of aphids |
| apicide | killing of bees |
| arachnidicide | killing of spiders or scorpions |
| blatticide | killing of cockroaches |
| cimicide | killing of bedbugs |
| culicide | killing of gnats or mosquitos |
| formicide | killing of ants |
| insecticide | killing of insects |
| larvicide | killing of insect larvae |
| lousicide, pediculicide | killing of lice |
| muscicide | killing of flies |
| pesticide | killing of pests |
| pulicide, pulicicide | killing of fleas |
| tickicide | killing of ticks |
Words for medicines & drugs for killing | |
| amebacide, amebicide, amoebicide | killing of amoebas |
| anthracocide | killing of anthrax |
| ascaricide, filaricide, lumbricide | killing of roundworms |
| bacillicide | killing of bacilli |
| bactericide, bacteriacide, bacteriocide | killing of bacteria |
| cytocide | killing of cells |
| fasciolicide | killing of liver flukes |
| febricide | killing of (reducing) fever |
| gametocide, plasmodicide, schiconticide | killing of malarial parasites |
| germicide | killing of germs |
| globulicide | killing of blood corpuscles |
| helminthicide, vermicide | killing of intestinal worms |
| microbicide | killing of microbes |
| nematocide, nematicide, nemacide | killing of nematode worms |
| oxyuricide | killing of oxyuris worms (pinworms) |
| parasiticide | killing of parasites |
| protozoacide | killing of protozoans |
| sarcopticide | killing of itch mites |
| scabicide, scabieticide | killing of scabies |
| schistosomacide, schistosomicide | killing of blood flukes |
| spermicide, spermatocide, spermatozoicide | killing of sperm |
| spirillicide | killing of spirilla bacilli |
| spirocheticide, spirochaeticide | killing of spirochetes bacilli |
| sporozoiticide | killing of sporozoites |
| staphylocide | killing of staphylococcus bacilli |
| streptococcicide | killing of streptococci bacteria |
| taenicide, taeniacide, teniacide, tenicide | killing of tapeworms |
| treponemicide | killing of parasitic bacteria |
| trichomonacide | killing of diarrhea-causing parasites |
| trypanocide, trypanosomacide | killing of sleeping sickness infection |
| toxicide | killing of (eradicating) toxins |
| tuberculocide | killing of tuberculosis bacilli |
| tumoricide | killing of cancerous cells |
| viricide, virucide, viruscide | killing of viruses |
Words for killing plant life | |
| algaecide, algicide | killing of algae |
| floricide | killing of flowers |
| fungicide | killing of fungi |
| herbicide, phytocide | killing of plants |
| sporicide | killing of fungal spores |
| weedicide | killing of weeds |
Words for miscellaneous killing & destruction | |
| autocide | killing someone with a motor vehicle |
| biocide | destruction of living organisms |
| deicide | killing of a god |
| facticide | killing of facts (distorting the truth) |
| famicide | destruction of someone's reputation |
| fideicide | destruction of a faith |
| giganticide | killing of a giant |
| legicide | destruction of laws |
| liberticide | destruction of liberty |
| logocide, verbicide | destruction of the meaning of words |
| menticide | destruction of the mind (brainwashing) |
| monstricide | killing of a monster |
| ovicide | killing of eggs |
| parasuicide | mimicking of the act of suicide; deliberate self harm |
| suitorcide | killing of a suitor's chances with a potential mate |
| tomecide | destruction of books |
| urbicide | destruction of a city |
| utricide | stabbing of an inflated skin vessel in place of killing someone |
Words for mass killing & destruction | |
| ecocide | destruction of the entire natural environment |
| ethnocide | destruction of an entire culture |
| genocide | destruction of an entire national, ethnic or religious group |
| mundicide | destruction of the entire world |
| onmicide | destruction of all living things |
| populicide | killing of all people |
| speciocide | destruction of an entire species |
(For more violence go to Fighting Words)
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